PROFESSING CHRISTIANS WILL BE DECEIVED AND FALL AWAY BEFORE THE END-TIMES

How many times have we read that a large number of Christians will reject the gospel and rebel against God prior to the end times? Many theologians have different theories as to what this really means.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 – 12 – “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

It is believed that a number of Christians will reject their faith and accept another gospel. There are some church leaders who believe in merging with those whose religion is Islam. It is called Chrislam and they are trying to say Christians and Muslims are all worshipping the same God. It is a world-wide movement headed toward the teaching of the false prophet and the Antichrist. Because of their rejection of the gospel, Scripture says that “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.”

Matthew 7:21 – 23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Hebrews 6:4 – 6 – “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”

This is where a debate occurs. Some believe the author is talking about a person who has received salvation and has fallen away. Others believe these are people who have never received salvation though they have shared in the Holy Spirit. Once you have been enlightened and understand New Testament teaching and know spiritual and Biblical truths and either reject or disbelieve the teachings you are cutting yourself off from God’s forgiveness. It would be better for them not having known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. II Peter 2:21.

It is believed the heavenly gift is salvation. Some believed it was only tasted, meaning sampled but not accepted. Others wondered how can you taste the Spirit without accepting the Spirit. Some believe they may have shared in the Holy Spirit which could mean they were around the Holy Spirit and saw the Spirit’s saving grace but they never accepted. Or, once they had accepted the Holy Spirit, the Spirit was quenched by their lack of faith and disobedience.

People in the church who are knowledgeable and continue to resist making a commitment and totally surrendering one’s self to Christ can become immune to salvation. Our spiritual system becomes more and more unresponsive and insensitive and we lose the opportunity for salvation.

Titus 1:15 – 16 – “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”

Paul writes to Timothy that the human mind and body had to be rigorously disciplined to achieve spiritual maturity. I believe too many have accepted Christ but have never repented of their sins and continue to live life without change. Christ says even though you may have prophesied in His name, drive out demons in His name and perform many miracles that does not mean Christ will accept us into His Kingdom.

Paul further states that we are to follow his example in living a Christian life as he has followed Christ’s example. Paul practiced daily the things Christ taught and practiced. How many of us have followed their examples? Christ trained himself to depend on God. Paul lived daily as Christ did. Most Christians have no intentions of making a radical change in how they live, once saved. God knew we could not make the changes He required without the Holy Spirits help. Christians must determine whether they actually received the Holy Spirit.

We have repeatedly written that the Bible says that God made man in His image and likeness. He made us with a spirit and gave us a body to do what the Holy Spirit directed. Sin caused man to reject the spirit’s control and allowed the urges and lusts of the body to direct our behavior. Many who accept Christ as Savior are unwilling to reject the pleasures that the body desires. It is necessary to follow Christ’s example. The people who overcome the body’s control and makes the dramatic change back to spirit control, which is connected to the Holy Spirit and to God are Christians Christ and God want to work with in eternity.

Therefore, there will be many who will follow different religious leaders with a pagan gospel or other religions denying the teaching of Christ. Those are Christians that the Bible says will fall away or backslide. May I suggest that you study your Bible so that no one can lead you away from the teachings of Christ?